A Giant shift: How first-year coach Adam Kingsley embraced his chance at GWS

After 15 years as an assistant, Adam Kingsley was ready for when the senior opportunity finally came. GWS stars open up on how their coach has connected the club and changed the culture.

Lachlan McKirdy

@LMcKirdy7

4 min read

September 16, 2023 - 6:00AM

He had to wait in the wings, but Adam Kingsley is finally living up to his potential as a head coach. Picture: Phil Hillyard

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Lachie Ash remembers it clearly.

The Giants were four goals down in Adam Kingsley’s debut as a head coach. At home against the Crows, this was not how the script was meant to go for round one.

All the talk had been about a new era at GWS, but Ash and his teammates went into the rooms not knowing how their new coach would react.

“I won’t forget it, Adelaide was all over us … and he came down and said, ‘How good is this?’,” Ash said.

“I was expecting him to say we’ve got to get going here. But he was talking about round one and (the fact) footy is back.”

It’s become a trademark of Kingsley’s coaching style at the Giants.

Kingsley was over the moon following the Giants’ round one win over the Crows. Picture: Phil Hillyard

Talk to any of the group about what he has brought to the side and one of the key words that will come up is balance.

His passionate pre-game addresses have gone viral on social media. His high standards have driven success around the club. And importantly, he’s in charge of a group who have never had as much fun and trust in the process as they do now.

Kingsley has been waiting in the wings for this opportunity. GWS’ incredible season shows he is ready to make the most of it.

How Kingsley came to the throne

A premiership player with Port Adelaide in 2004, Kingsley transitioned to coaching after an ACL injury cut his playing career short in 2006.

He spent 15 years as an assistant coach across stints at Port Adelaide, St Kilda and most recently four seasons under Damien Hardwick at Richmond.

Throughout that period, it quickly became clear that Kingsley had forged his own way of building relationships with players and was ready for a head coaching role should it come his way.

Kingsley had a long apprenticeship but benefited from some great mentors along the way. Picture: Michael Klein

“I think we all saw it in the background, he was a strong-minded guy who knows his footy,” Neil Balme, an advisor at the Tigers, said. “We always thought there was a pretty good chance he could be good at it.

“One of the great things about Adam is he had a crazy sense of humour which meant he had the ability to take the piss out of himself. He, and the other Richmond coaches, were very much believers that if you’re not enjoying it, don’t be doing it.”

That relaxed man-management style mixed with his astute knowledge of the game meant it felt inevitable he would get a head coaching role.

He narrowly missed out on positions at Collingwood, Carlton, Gold Coast and Adelaide. But after an extensive search, the Giants knew he was their man and he got to work at the end of 2022.

“Kingers was pretty quick to break the ice,” Tom Green said. “We weren’t here trying to win over his approval for too long.

“Anytime you get a coaching change, there’s unknown for everyone. But he’s just another guy, is down to earth and funny … which allowed us to get to work as a collective from there.”

The first-time head coach fit into the Giants’ group seamlessly. Picture: Phil Hillyard

Work hard, play harder

Kingsley knew what this Giants group could achieve from day one and set the benchmarks early.

Similarly to the way he wants them to play for their teammates on the field, he drove those standards off the field.

One second late to a meeting? Too bad, he’d be there to personally shut the door in your face.

He’s also not afraid to bring out a spray when needed.

“If we aren’t playing our best footy and we need a rocket, there’s been a few occasions where he’s done that,” Finn Callaghan said. “He’s certainly got it in him.

“Round 14 against Essendon. He came in at three-quarter time … you could see in his eyes he was fired up.”

But the results on the field speak for themselves. This group is playing with unparalleled belief and that has been driven by the culture that Kingsley has created.

Kingsley has become known for ensuring his players find a way to have a laugh. Picture: Phil Hillyard

After waiting so long for his chance, Kingsley is enjoying every moment of his maiden finals coaching campaign. Picture: Phil Hillyard

“I think you’re at your best both as an individual and as a collective when you enjoy coming to work,” Kingsley said. “And typically, you enjoy coming to work because you have fun.”

In one of the Giants’ best wins of the year, they came back from a 29-point half time deficit to defeat the Bulldogs in Ballarat.

Rather than keep them on edge at the main break, he wanted to take their nerves out of the picture.

“We thought we’d be in the gun, but he cracked a joke at half time,” Ash said. “He lightened the room … you’re able to focus more when you take the tension out.”

“It’s caught us by surprise a few times,” Green added. “But he’s shown that perfect balance.”

In their biggest game of the season, the elimination final against St Kilda, the joy from Kingsley was palpable.

He turned to his captain Toby Greene after the anthems and gave him the biggest smile.

Just like back in round one, you could see it written all over his face: How good is footy?

Not many would have expected the Giants to be in the second week of September. Even Kingsley admitted it would have been a stretch to suggest it when they were in the bottom four in round 10.